The Magnum Opus
This unfinished work haunts the Painter. This also acts as the primary save feature when you interact with it. Significance The mere sight of the work inspires fear, disgust, sadness, which causes the player to fall further into madness. Haunted by his wife's disfigurement and death, he seeks to create his masterpiece in order to bring back what life took from him. Using the body parts of his beloved wife, the painter seeks to create his greatest work. The content of the work, and the fate of the artist, are determined by the player's actions. Iterations Empty Canvas (Iteration 1) The Empty Canvas comprises of a muddled green backdrop with grunge edges and a single red paint splatter. This is the starting canvas every player encounters, regardless of actions completed prior to this. Blood Flamingoes (Iteration 2) Very similar in appearance to its parent although, much much darker. The Blood Flamingoes look just as one would surmise. Gaping Flesh (Iteration 3) An unsettling picture to say the least. Its appearance resembles the entrance to a cave, dripping with bloody liquid, presumably blood. At the left, there is a resemblance with a wolf, raising its paw : its ribs are the entrance of the cave. (It may refer to the tale of the red riding hood that can be seen at the beginning of the game.) Taking Form (Iteration 4) The shape begins approach that of a human bust. The white of the face and neck resembles that of a fish turned on its tail. The Face Emerges (Iteration 5) This is the last known painting. A human bust is now recognizable, though large swaths of skin and flesh are missing. The Final Form (Iteration 6) In the final form, there are three different paintings, each representing how the artist accepts his actions. * The Neutral/Loop Ending is a picture of the Wife, that initially is perfect, but becomes disfigured with burn scars. The painting taunts him, and he cries out in frustration as he almost completed his work. He throws the painting into a pile of other failures. The Painter returns to his studio, where he starts the process all over again in an never ending cycle. * The Selfish Ending is a self-portrait of the Painter, which ends in a showcase of his work. He realizes here that all of the pain and suffering was worth the price of restoring his talent. * The Selfless Ending is a picture of the Wife and the Child. He realizes that all his hard work will never bring his family back, and burns all his paintings. He throws himself into the fire, and dies by self-immolation. Trivia * The painting is suggested to be created out of his wife's remains, judging by the nature of the objects collected for the magnum opus. * In the Neutral Ending, if you return to the room of failures, the player can see the true forms of the discarded paintings. The paintings are almost all perfect, with the exception of various burn marks or scars on the wife's face. Category:Paintings Category:Key items Category:Layers of Fear